In II Peter we have the sure Word, but in Revelation we have the seven Spirits. Revelation 3:1 says, "These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars." The hand of Jesus not only holds the seven stars, but also the seven Spirits. This means that the seven Spirits are one with the seven stars, and the seven stars are one with the seven Spirits. If we have the living Word as the daystar rising within us and we are one with the seven Spirits, eventually we will become the stars. We not only have the star shining within us, but by looking to the star and following in the Spirit we become the stars.
The Lord said unto Abraham, "I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore" (Gen. 22:17). We Christians, the genuine believers, are the real children of Abraham. We are the stars of the heaven. The Jewish people, the physical descendants, are as the sand upon the seashore. We all must be the stars—not only the leaders in the local churches, but everyone. Read Revelation chapters 2 and 3 again and you will realize that eventually all in the local churches should be the stars. What the Lord wrote to the seven angels was what He wrote to the whole church. It is not a matter of teaching, knowledge, title, or position; it is absolutely a matter of shining. We need to be the shining stars that people may find Christ through us. Where is Christ? Come and see! Just follow the star! And where is the star? Hallelujah, the star is in the local churches. Brothers and sisters, are we really shining? We must shine in our homes, on our jobs, in our neighborhoods, in the schools, on the campus. Don't teach people. Just shine! Don't preach so much. Just shine! Shine! Shine! Shine! The local churches should be full of shining stars.
Let me illustrate a little more and apply what we have been saying. Many times when you go to a believer or great teacher, you sense that they are so lacking in clarity and transparency. You sense that with them there is no window, there is no light, they are opaque. That person may have all the knowledge of the Bible, but the more he talks with you, the more you feel imprisoned. Sometimes, however, perhaps not frequently, you come to a little brother, and when he speaks with you he simply says, "Hallelujah, praise the Lord!" But by those few words, something gets into you. The more he speaks with you, the more you sense that all the clouds have vanished and something is shining. Why? Because this dear little brother is a shining star. There is no tag attached to him saying, "I am a heavenly star." But when you meet him, you simply have the sense of shining.